Phillips Announces Leadership Changes, Succession Plan

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, a nationwide distributor of pet food and supplies, announced that the board of directors appointed Todd Shelton as CEO and Greg Cyr as chief commercial officer.

Shelton, who brings to Phillips more than 25 years of distribution leadership, joined Phillips after most recently serving for 14 years as president of Essendant Inc., a supplier of workplace essentials.

“Todd has the perfect combination of distribution and leadership experience to build upon the current team’s momentum,” said Kent Weldon, chairman of Phillips’ board. “I have great confidence that his values align with those that have served our vendors, customers and our employees for generations.”

Cyr joins Phillips with more than 20 years of distribution, marketing and manufacturing experience, including 10 years of pet specialty experience. He most recently was vice president of customer development for Mars Petcare Specialty Division, where he was responsible for all sales, marketing, sales operations and trade spend management. He also served as president with another leading pet specialty distributor and has worked in marketing roles in consumer-packaged goods.

In his new role, Cyr is responsible for managing the company’s vendor partnerships, sales, customer care and marketing initiatives.

“We’ve gotten to know Greg over the last couple of years as both a competitor and a vendor and have come to truly respect him in both roles,” said Sheryl Maher, Phillips’ chief marketing officer, who announced her plan to retire last year. “Having a deep working knowledge of our industry uniquely positions him to best serve our customers and vendors. He brings a passion for the industry and commitment to collaborating with our existing team and partners, consistent with the Phillips values.”

“On behalf of everyone at Phillips, we want to extend a special note of thanks to Sheryl for all that she has done to make Phillips what it is today,” Weldon said. “While I know she is looking forward to a well-deserved retirement, no one has worked with more commitment to success than Sheryl. Her support for our leadership team through this transition period is deeply appreciated.”

Blaine Phillips served as CEO of Phillips since 1981 and championed the creation of a nationwide distribution company for the pet specialty markets. His vision and commitment to customer service, quality and relationships transformed the company, the company stated.

“We want to thank Blaine for his leadership of Phillips over the past 35 years,” Weldon said.

Neither Phillips nor its public relations representatives returned Pet Product News’ queries for further comment.